During the recent Path of Exile 2 event in Los Angeles, which I was invited to, we had the chance to participate in a Q&A session with Jonathan Rogers, one of the founders of Grinding Gear Games. The session included open questions and answers, as well as an opportunity to speak with him more informally when he wasn’t busy.
Q: One of the challenges with Path of Exile was that it felt daunting for new players due to the complexity of its systems. With Path of Exile 2, the design seems to focus on making the game more approachable for new players while still retaining the depth that veteran players enjoyed. Could you elaborate on how you’ve balanced these aspects?
Jonathan Rogers: Right, right. Before now, the focus has been heavily on easing players into the game while gradually introducing the systems so they don’t feel too overwhelming. We wanted to make the game more accessible at the start, but at the same time, we had to consider the hardcore audience—those who enjoy diving straight into complex mechanics to see just how much they can accomplish.
Q: During the presentation, there was a lot of discussion about the campaign’s length and what’s planned for the endgame. How much content are we talking about in terms of the overall experience?
Jonathan Rogers: This is going to be a big game with a lot going on. There’s a massive amount of content here, and that’s the message we want to convey to both existing players and new ones. The campaign spans six acts and offers about 20-25 hours of gameplay. After that, there’s the endgame, which is vast. We’ve taken elements from Path of Exile, like the Trial of Ascendancy, and introduced a new mode where players can replay the acts with changes, such as tougher enemies and new challenges. There will be more to discuss at a later date.
At launch, when the game releases in early access in December 2024, players will have access to the first three acts. This will include 50 bosses and hundreds of unique enemies. Additionally, there’s a mode allowing players to replay the acts with harder difficulties and other alterations to keep things fresh.
Q: Which characters will be available during the early access period?
Jonathan Rogers: As shown during the presentation, we revealed the Monk, a character we hadn’t discussed before. Additionally, the Witch, who has been featured prominently at previous events, will also be available. Rounding out the roster are the Warrior, Mercenary, Ranger, and Sorceress—all of which will be playable during Path of Exile 2’s early access period.
Q: Regarding crossplay, how will it work? Specifically, how does story progression function for a player who joins another’s session? Will both players progress together?
Jonathan Rogers: While the game does feature crossplay and cross-progression, we’re still ironing out some of the finer details. There are a few quirks we need to address, like handling quest items and other minor issues. But the goal is for the experience to feel smooth—you should be able to jump into another player’s game and enjoy the story together seamlessly. This does support using your main account or a guest account.
One thing we can confirm is that if a higher-level character joins a game with someone of a lower level, the higher-level character will be scaled down to match the lower-level player’s progression.
Q: During the presentation, it was mentioned that players can choose between point-and-click controls or using the WASD keys to play. Was this decision intentional?
Jonathan Rogers: Absolutely. Initially, we wanted to incorporate both control methods but noticed that certain characters felt more natural with one scheme over the other. As we developed the game, we decided it would be better to let players choose their preferred control method instead of forcing them into one. This way, players can switch between the two and decide how they want to experience the game.
Q: I had the opportunity to play Path of Exile 2 at both the Summer Game Fest and PAX West 2024. One of the things I noticed was how well the game handles controller support compared to the first game. Are you happy with the current state of controller support, or is there still more work to be done?
Jonathan Rogers: Controller support is absolutely critical for Path of Exile 2, especially since it’s launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Steam Deck. The game was built with these platforms in mind from the beginning, rather than tacking on controller support later. As you’ve seen, the controller support works well, but of course, there may be a few tweaks here and there.
Q: As a PC gamer, I’ve noticed that devices like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally are getting more people into PC gaming. While I know Path of Exile 2 is being developed with those devices in mind, how far along is the development for them? Will these devices be supported in the early access launch in December 2024? Will there be an offline mode?
Jonathan Rogers: Absolutely, we’ve made significant progress on getting Path of Exile 2 working on devices like the Steam Deck. We recently got our hands on a Steam Deck in the office, and the game runs smoothly at 40 frames per second. We’re focused on ensuring that fans across all platforms get a great experience. There will be no offline mode as this is an online mode, and as such everything has been designed around that, especially our currency system. (I chimed in that if it runs that well on the Steam Deck, it should perform even better on more powerful devices. I forgot to ask about UI scaling.)
Q: The visuals in Path of Exile 2 look noticeably better than the first game, with improved lighting, shadows, and particle effects. I’m curious, do Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2 share the same game engine?
Jonathan Rogers: Yes, both games use the same game engine, but PoE 2 benefits from several upgrades. The improvements you see in PoE 2—better visuals, and additional features—are all thanks to these engine upgrades. This approach also allows us to transfer assets between both games, like cosmetics, which helps us streamline the development process. The engine also lets the two games share monetization elements and items, making it easier for players who engage with both games.
Q: Will there be a patch for Path of Exile 2 to support the PlayStation 5 Pro?
Jonathan Rogers: Yes. The PlayStation 5 Pro provides the capability to render the game at a higher resolution while delivering significantly improved frame rates.
Path of Exile 2 will enter early access for the PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on December 6, 2024.
